“We are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Joseph D. McDonald, president and CEO of Catholic Health. “It’s also good to be in the company of other business across the country which share our concerns and commitment. Supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and reduces our carbon footprint. Large health systems use an enormous amount of resources, so we have a responsibility to do our part to help protect the environment,” McDonald said.

Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. These resources generate electricity with a net zero increase in carbon dioxide emissions, while offering a superior environmental profile compared to traditional power generation sources. Green power purchases also support the development of new renewable energy generation sources nationwide.

“EPA is pleased to welcome Catholic Health to the Green Power Partnership. We applaud their commitment to using green power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Susan Wickwire, Chief of the Energy Supply and Industry Branch at US EPA.

According to the U.S. EPA, Catholic Health's green power purchase of nearly 6 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 800 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power nearly 600 average American homes annually.

McDonald sees green initiatives as a priority for Catholic Health. In 2008, he assembled a team of environmentally concerned associates to form a “Go Green Team” to begin addressing multiple issues, from the large consumption of energy to simple ways for everyone to reduce and properly dispose of waste. Catholic Health’s team has been exploring and implementing environmentally friendly solutions to energy consumption, building design, supply purchasing and waste management.